Ammunition Feeding System with Ball Joint Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ammunition feed devices for weapons are complex and costly, struggling to efficiently feed ammunition regardless of the weapon's angle of elevation or bearing, and must accommodate recoil movements, often leading to excessive tensile forces on ammunition strips.
Innovation Solution
A simplified ammunition supply device featuring a guide pivotally mounted around the weapon's trunnions axis, with a cylindrical roller and drive wheel system, including anti-return locking mechanisms and a rigid corridor connected via a ball joint, allowing for recoil movement and ensuring continuous ammunition flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If articulated corridors are implemented to accompany weapon movements, then the weapon can be fed regardless of elevation or bearing angle, but the device complexity increases and implementation cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The corridor is divided into two distinct segments: a fixed corridor attached to the weapon and a movable guide attached to the mounting. The movable guide is further segmented into multiple articulated sections that can independently pivot to accommodate weapon movements. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function while reducing the complexity of the overall system compared to a fully articulated corridor.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable guide acts as an intermediary element between the fixed corridor and the weapon. It transfers ammunition from the fixed corridor to the weapon while accommodating weapon movements through its articulated structure. This intermediary approach allows the fixed corridor to remain simple while the movable guide handles the adaptability requirements.
2Device complexity
If telescopic corridor is used to reduce complexity, then implementation is simpler, but excessive tensile forces are exerted on ammunition strips
Solution Approach 1:
The movable guide is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to pivot and adjust its position to follow weapon recoil and elevation movements. This dynamic adaptation eliminates the need for excessive tensile forces that would be required in a rigid telescopic corridor, as the guide naturally accommodates weapon movement through its articulated joints.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the geometric parameters of the ammunition path by allowing the movable guide to pivot at different angles depending on weapon position. This parameter change approach enables the corridor to adapt to weapon movements without requiring forceful tensioning, as the path geometry naturally adjusts to the weapon's recoil and elevation states.
3Device complexity
If the guide is pivotally mounted on the trunnions axis, then recoil movement is accommodated with simple means, but the guide must maintain precise alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The movable guide is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it guides ammunition, accommodates weapon recoil through pivotal movement, and adapts to elevation changes. By consolidating these functions into a single pivoting assembly mounted on the trunnions axis, the system achieves recoil accommodation with simple means while the universal design inherently maintains alignment precision through its geometric constraints.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables reliable and cost-effective ammunition feeding across various weapon positions and recoil phases, reducing complexity and tensile forces, while maintaining efficient ammunition guidance and protection against moisture.
Implementation Method 1
a drive wheel system, including anti-return locking mechanisms
Implementation Method 2
cylindrical roller and drive wheel system
Implementation Method 3
a rigid corridor connected via a ball joint, allowing for recoil movement
Implementation Method 4
a pivoting tooth which will engage on the teeth secured to the drive wheel, tooth maintained applied against the teeth by a spring means
Data Source
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AI summary
The device has a transfer unit driving ammunition bands (9) from ammunition cases to a weapon pivotably mounted on trunnions, where the unit has a rigid channel (10). The unit has a guide (11) pivotably mounted around an axle merged with an axis (2) of the trunnions of the weapon. A ball pivot (15) slightly displaces the channel with respect to the guide, during the pivoting of the guide. A mounting clearance is formed between the channel and the weapon.